Run Away
by Vitamin46
Summary: She loves him. He runs away. When he admits his feelings for her, it's her turn to walk away. What will happen to them? Please review! Some ooc-ness.
1. Chapter 1

Artemis' POV

I sighed. Things have just not been the same since the Second Titan War. Lately I've been thinking about a certain young hero and I do not know why. Currently, my hunters and I are in New York, Central Park to be exact, hunting a hellhound who had escaped from the underworld. It is about 3:00 in the morning and I can't sleep, so I am just sitting in my tent and thinking. Determined to take a walk, I left the camp and headed towards the middle of Central Park. I came upon the lake and decided to sit and just stare at the water for awhile. That was when I realized I was not alone. Someone was in the water. Someone I knew. Someone I did not want to see.

Percy's POV

I took a deep breath. For the first time in a while I feel peaceful. Right now, I'm at the bottom of the lake in Central Park, the closest body of water near my apartment. The moon is at its fullest and the moonlight reflecting off the lake looks beautiful. I'm back in New York to get ready for the new school year. Amazingly, I wasn't kicked out of Goode. The reason why I'm in Central Park, you ask? Well my life has been complicated lately so I'm trying to clear my head of all thoughts and just relax for once.

My eyes snapped open. Startled, I looked at my watch and saw that it was 3:00 am. I must have fallen asleep since I had come to the lake at around 10:00 pm. Then I looked around, wondering what had woken me from my sleep. Looking up, I was surprised to see a very beautiful woman sitting alone at the edge of the lake. She had long, auburn colored hair and bright, silver eyes. She looked to be around my age; 16, and what surprised me the most was that I recognized her. It was Artemis, goddess of the hunt and moon.

Artemis' POV

I groaned internally as Percy rose from where he had been at the bottom of the lake. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Percy. It's just that every time I see him, my heart tends to speed up a little, or a lot.

"Hello, Perseus," I said.

"Hey. You can call me Percy, Lady Artemis," he replied a little awkwardly.

"Alright then, Percy," I said, and he grinned. Gods his smile was breathtaking. _No! Snap out of it! You are the virgin goddess and he is a boy._

"So what brings you here Lady Artemis?" he asked.

"I could ask the same of you. I'm just here… thinking about certain things," I frowned as I tried to sort out my feelings. I, Artemis, cannot be falling for a man, can I?

"Okay... I'm trying to sort out my feelings about Annabeth." he sighed unhappily at this and I felt my heart ache at hearing him so upset but I was also glad that he didn't ask about what the things are that I'm thinking about.

"I thought you two were in love?" I asked him.

"Well I thought so too, but she's been so busy with plans for Olympus that we don't talk anymore and have grown apart. I just don't know what to do." I frowned at this. This was not the same Percy I have possibly fallen in love with. Yes, I admit it. I have fallen for Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon.

"Hello? Lady Artemis?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and realized I had completely missed whatever Percy had just said. "Sorry, what? I didn't catch that," I said.

He hesitated and then said, "Oh. Well I just asked why you aren't in your 12 year old form."

Stunned, I looked down at myself and sure enough I was in my 16 year old form. "I…"

"Well you look beautiful," he interjected, quickly looking away while turning tomato red. I blushed at this and was in too much shock to reply. He looked back over at me and my expression must not have been good because he whispered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Please don't turn me into a jackalope."

"No, I won't. It's just that I was shocked is all," I reassured him.

"Well then don't hate me for this, alright?" he asked.

"What do you mean, Percy?" I was very confused. Then all of a sudden his face was an inch away from mine and getting closer. Then his soft lips met mine. The strange thing was, I liked it and so I kissed him back. A few seconds later he pulled away.

"I- I'm sorry. Annabeth and I…" he muttered. With that, he got up and ran away. I watched him run. I watched him run away from me. Run away from us.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N So here's the second chapter. Tell me what you think. And thank you to those of you who have reviewed. I really appreciate it. :D**

**I forgot to put a disclaimer in before. Whoops… So here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any part of this story really.**

Percy's POV

As I ran away, I paused for a second to look back at Artemis. She was still sitting where I left her, and our eyes met. They were full of hurt and sadness. This broke my heart to see and I turned back around and just ran faster. I didn't stop running until I reached the apartment building where I lived. I entered my room and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

That's when my dreams started. You see, demigod dreams really suck. They're never just dreams, but this one was a bit different. All around me were the voices of the one's I loved. My mom, my dad, Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, Thalia, Nico, and finally… Artemis. And they were all saying the same thing, "Why Percy? Why?" My dream then shifted to the last time I had seen Artemis. Her eyes were big and red and as she stared straight through me, she whispered, "Why did you do this to me Percy? Why?"

With that, I woke up, my breathing heavy, and sweat covering my body. I turned in my bed to see my alarm clock; it read 6:00 am. Figuring I wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep, I got dressed and went out for a walk. As I was passing the Empire State Building, I ran into one of the last people I wanted to see.

"Oh hey Percy," Annabeth said.

"Hey," I replied, giving her a weak smile.

"Is something wrong?" concern filled her face, which just made me feel all the more guilty for kissing Artemis. Sure, Annabeth and I haven't been on the best terms lately, but she didn't deserve to be cheated on.

"Um… I think we need to talk. How about we go to that café over there?" I asked while pointing to a little café across the street.

"Oh ok, sure," she replied.

We walked over to the café, sat down at a table, and then ordered some coffee. "So what did you want to talk about?" Oh gods, I wasn't ready for this. I didn't know how to say that I had cheated on her and now wanted to break up. Someone help me!

"Well, um…" I coughed to clear my throat. "Annabeth, I'm not going to lie to you. I truly love you but lately we've been growing apart and... I- I sort of kissed someone else?" Oh no. That came out like a question.

"Percy…" Annabeth started. I flinched, expecting her next words to turn into a torrent of angry words, so I was surprised when they weren't. "I feel the same about us growing apart, I think we have more of a brother-sister love type thing and," she took a deep breath, "if you really like this other person, then I'm okay with it."

I was seriously shocked. This wasn't the reaction I had been expecting. "So friends then?" I asked.

"The best," she replied with a grin. I smiled back. "So who is this girl?" she asked.

I frowned at this. "Well she's not exactly a girl… More like Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and moon?"

"You're in love with Artemis?" she whisper-yelled.

"Well I don't think love is the right word, more like an attraction," I replied meekly, unable to admit to myself that I may just love Artemis.

"Don't deny it Percy. Anyway, why are you still sitting here with me and not with her?" she asked.

"Well after we kissed, I ran away from her. She probably hates me now." I said mournfully.

"Well you never know until you talk to her," Annabeth replied.

"You're right. Thanks Annabeth, for being a great friend and all. I think I'll go up to Olympus right now and see if I can find her," I smiled, kissed her on the cheek and ran out.

Before I did, I heard Annabeth call out, "Wait Percy! Don't…" But it was too late. I was already out the door and crossing the street.

I didn't have time to wait for the security guard to ask me questions so as I was passing the desk, I just grabbed the key card and sprinted to the elevator. Looking around to make sure no one saw me, I inserted the key and pushed the button for the 600th floor. The door opened and I stepped out onto Olympus. It was in the process of being repaired but I was in too much of a hurry to see what is being built. I ran as fast as I could down the long sidewalk heading towards the throne room.

As I burst into the throne room, I saw two gods sitting in the center of the Greek omega and as they turned to look at me, the face of the one to the right (**A/N Do the guy gods sit to the right or left of Zeus? Sorry, I don't have a book with me to check**) brightened while the one in the middle just scowled at me. The one who was happy to see me was my dad, Poseidon, god of the seas and all that. And the god who wasn't all that happy was my dear uncle, Zeus. (Please note the sarcasm as I say that). I bowed to Zeus, and then to my father. "Perseus, we were just discussing you," my father said happily. He then looked at Zeus.

"Eh? Oh yes… Well it seems like your father here still wants you to become a god so starting tomorrow, you will be training in his undersea palace until he thinks you are ready to become a god, if you accept that is. Please say no, I would rather not have to deal with you for eternity," Zeus grumbled.

I was absolutely shocked. I didn't think the gods would give me another chance to become a god. Then I started thinking. If I were to become a god, wouldn't that mean I would have to see Artemis? Then maybe I could apologize to her and we might become something more… _No! Stop it! First things first, you'll have to become a god._ With these thoughts in my head, I said, "I accept Lord Zeus."

**A/N Well that's the second chapter. Again, please review! I'd really appreciate it. Extra thanks to Whatever My Name for the idea! ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hey all! Sorry I haven't updated until now. . So without further delay, here's the 3rd chapter! :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Percy's POV

As I was leaving Olympus, I bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry about that," I said distractedly. Looking up, I saw Artemis. "A- Artemis," I stuttered.

"Oh hello, Perseus," she said.

"I- I want to say," I started. Then she cut me off.

"Let's just forget about everything that happened, alright?" she smiled gently.

"But," I started again.

"I know what you're trying to say. You're sorry. I am too," and with that, she walked away.

"But… I'm in love with you," I whispered as she walked out of my line of sight. Sighing, I kept on walking with my head down, resulting in running into someone, again. I really need to stop doing this. "Hey Annabeth," I said as I smiled weakly.

"Hey Percy! What happened? Why are you looking so sad?" she questioned.

"Oh, well I talked to Artemis," I replied.

"What'd she say?" she inquired further.

"She wants to forget about everything that happened…" I looked down at my feet at this.

"Well, maybe it's for the best, maybe you just don't belong with her," at this statement, I looked up at her to see a satisfied expression on her face.

"What do you mean Annabeth? I love her!" I exclaimed.

"Percy, I still love you. I can't let you go. About what I said earlier, I lied. Don't leave me, Artemis will never return your feelings. You belong with me, and you know it," she said softly.

"No Annabeth, I don't know it. Move on and find someone else, because I'm in love with Artemis and I'll do everything I can to win her back," I said. I started walking again, toward the elevator, but this time with my head held high.

"You'll regret this Percy! When she rejects you again, you'll come crawling back!" she called out after me.

I stopped and slowly turned around to face Annabeth before saying, "I don't care if she rejects, I won't be coming back to you. You can count on that. And I certainly won't regret this." This left her speechless and I continued on to the elevator. Once inside, I sighed and slammed my head against the wall, knowing that Annabeth was probably right about Artemis not taking me back. But she was wrong about me coming back to her, I promised myself not to let that happen.

Walking to my apartment, I told my mom and Paul about what had happened and then left for the ocean. Wading into the water, I whistled and Tyson's favorite hippocampi Rainbow, showed up. I got on, and we descended into the water.

Artemis' POV

It really hurt, telling Percy I wanted to forget about what happened, but it was for the best. I am a virgin goddess who hates boys. I will not break my oath just for this one.

2 Years Later Artemis' POV

It has been 2 years since I last saw Percy. After that day, he disappeared and no one has heard from him. Not the camp, not his mother, no one. Currently, I am on my way to an urgent council meeting. At least, that's what Lord Zeus says. I stepped into the throne room, and went and sat at my throne.

"Well now that we're all here, what is so urgent about this meeting Lord Zeus?" Athena asked. Sure enough, when I looked around, I noticed I had been the last to arrive and most of the other gods and goddesses looked really annoyed.

Zeus cleared his throat and began speaking. He was being very dramatic and I tuned out what he was saying until I heard him saying for Poseidon to do the honors. I glanced over at Poseidon as he started talking. "Well, you all know my favorite son Percy, right?"

"Peter Johnson?" Dionysus asked. Poseidon growled at this and shot a murderous glare at him. Dionysus flinched and corrected himself. "Ah, I mean Percy Jackson, right. I know him."

"Good, well I know where he has been these past 2 years," he said.

I blurted out, "Where?" unable to control myself. All the gods and goddesses looked at me with confused expressions on their faces. It was actually quite funny. "Uh… I mean, where has he been all this time?"

With all the interruptions, Zeus had been getting very annoyed, "Well if you all would shut up, then maybe you'd find out!" he said impatiently.

Everyone settled down and Poseidon continued. "He has been at my undersea palace these past 2 years training to become a god." Gasps were heard all across the room and I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. I couldn't bear to see Percy again. I would be reminded of just how much I still love him even though I've tried so hard to deny it. "Percy, come in here!" Poseidon called. As he walked in I felt my heart start beating a million miles per hour. He had changed in these past 2 years. He was more muscular, probably a result of his training. His hair was also a little shorter, but still all over the place. He had a deeper tan, and just looked better all around. He looked right at me and smiled that breath-taking smile of his. He turned to face Zeus as he began chanting in ancient Greek and everyone joined in. A sea-green light engulfed Percy and when it had faded, Percy was now 12 feet tall with a sea-green aura surrounding him. Then Zeus started speaking again. "Poseidon and I have decided to name you god of the tides and heroes. Now let's party!" A cheer followed this announcement and with a snap of Zeus' finger, the party began.

I was standing to the side, next to the punch bowl just watching what was going on when Percy came up to me. "So, great party, huh?" he asked.

"Um, yeah, it is," I replied rather awkwardly.

"You know, the moon pulls the tides, you have the same effect on me," he grinned.

"Is that your lame excuse of a pick-up line?" I asked while bursting out laughing.

He adopted an injure look on his face while asking, "What? You really think it's that lame?"

"It is _beyond _lame," I replied. We both started laughing and when we were finally able to control ourselves, our eyes met and he started leaning closer. I was also leaning forward before I caught myself and pulled back. "We can't do this Percy, it's not right," I said as I started to walk away.

"No, it is right, and you know it," he said while stepping forward and grabbing hold of my wrist to keep me from walking away.

"Let. Go. Percy." I said slowly. He let go.

"I really do love you," he called after me as I continued walking. This made me hesitate a second before resuming my walk away from him. This time it was me who was walking away from him and us.

**A/N Tell me what you think by reviewing please and I'm always open to ideas! And thank you again to all of you who have already reviewed. :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I know, I haven't updated in a week! Sorry, sorry! - Have any of you ever heard that song by Super Junior? O.o It's not my favorite by them, but still pretty catchy. I know, off topic. Anyway, sorry again for not updating! Thanks for all the reviews! And special thanks to MIA24 for his/her review! It made my day when I read it. :D I encourage all of you to review! I don't care if it's flames or constructive criticism or whatever, I just want some feedback!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

Percy's POV

I knew that Artemis wouldn't take me back right away, but it still hurt when she walked away from me. I really do love her, being away from her for two years made me realize and accept that. If only she would give me a chance… That was when I resolved to do everything I could to have her realize that I needed her and she needed me.

2 Weeks Later, Still Percy's POV

It's been 2 weeks since the party. Artemis left for her hunters as soon as the party was over and I miss her. I wanted to see her so badly, even if she was angry at me when I saw her. I just needed to see her. That's when I decided to go pay her a little visit.

*Pop* I popped into a little clearing next to a creek and saw silver tents being set up by Artemis' hunters, but I didn't see the goddess herself.

"What are you doing here?" an outraged voice behind me asked. I spun around quickly in surprise.

"Artemis!" I exclaimed in happiness. Then, I probably did the stupidest thing I've ever done, and trust me, I've done some very stupid things. I hugged her, in front of all her hunters.

"Percy! Let go and get out of my camp this instant!" cried Artemis. She was very red and looked like she was about to vaporize me, if I could have been vaporized.

"Sorry, no can do. I'm going to stay here and help you out with hunting. Plus, I really need to work on my archery skills," I said brightly.

"Go, now!" Artemis demanded.

"Nope," I replied.

"Well then, maybe it's time for that archery lesson," she smirked as she said this. "Girls? Why don't you try to hit your new target?" The hunters grinned evilly at this and all their bows were simultaneously pointed at me.

"You wouldn't," I said.

"Oh trust me, I will. Fire!" yelled Artemis.

Screaming, I ran around camp being chased by the hunters. They never ran out of arrows because their bows were enchanted to magically have them appear every time they drew their bows. This really sucked for me. Meanwhile, Artemis was rolling around on the ground laughing. When she finally gained control over her laughing fit, she called her hunters off and told them to go to their tents.

"Now Percy, why don't you leave," she said.

"No, no, I still need to learn archery so I think I'll stay," I replied.

"Leave Percy, you're not wanted here," she said softly.

"But I want to be here!" I said vehemently.

"But I don't want you here! Don't you get that? Can't you get that through your thick head into your little brain? I don't want you and I don't need you. Just forget about what happened already. It was a mistake, on my part and yours. I don't care about you. I don't care! So just leave me alone already!" She was screaming by the time she finished.

Her words stung, and I recoiled from their force. But I loved her, and she needed to know that.

"Artemis! Just hear me out for a second. I love you! I think about you all the time. You're in every thought I have. You might not need me, but I need you. I. Love. You. And kissing you wasn't a mistake, I don't regret it and I never will. But I'll leave, if it's better for you, I'll leave," I told her calmly and quietly.

"Percy…" Artemis said. "I don't love you." Those 4 words devastated me.

"Just remember that I love you, will you?" I asked as a single tear slid down my cheek. I kissed her on the cheek and then popped back to my palace. I walked into my room and in a fit of despair, I punched a hole clean through the wall. I sunk to my knees, cradling my now injured hand. The last thing I saw before passing out was a replay of the last words Artemis had said to me.

When I woke up, I was on my bed. Hadn't I passed out on the floor last night? Groggily, I looked around, only to see a slumped over figure in a chair next to my bed. I took a closer look and was shocked to find that it was Annabeth. I gently shook her awake.

Her eyes snapped open and she lunged at me and gave me a big hug. "Percy! Thank the gods you're okay! I was so worried last night when I heard a loud sound and ran into your room only to see you passed out on the floor!"

"Um… Annabeth, you can let go now," I said awkwardly.

"Oh right, sorry," she smiled sheepishly.

"Why were you in my palace anyways?" I asked.

"Oh, I was putting on the finishing details," she replied.

"Oh. Okay," I said.

She sighed, "Look Percy, I know you're probably mad about what I said before, and I don't blame you. But I just want you to know I'm truly sorry, and I hope we can still be friends."

I smiled a little at this. "Sure Annabeth," I told her.

She was still on my bed and our close proximity made me a little nervous. Our eyes met and before I knew what I was doing, I leaned closer and she did the same. Our lips met, and I kissed her harder, letting all my sadness over Artemis pour out. The hole in my heart that Artemis had left was starting to slowly repair itself. We separated and I smiled faintly at her.

"Annabeth, I know what I said about me not wanting you back, but I was wrong, I still need you. Especially after everything that's happened," I said.

"Oh, Percy!" Annabeth cried aloud.

I pulled her into a hug and chuckled as I asked, "Well is that a yes or not?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I've missed you Seaweed Brain," she beamed at me.

"I've missed you too Wise Girl," I replied while grinning at her.

2 Months Later, Still Percy's POV

It's been 2 months since Annabeth and I started going out again and since I've seen Artemis. Annabeth's filled a large part of the gap in my heart. Oh who am I kidding? I've just been deceiving myself into thinking that but all I ever think about is Artemis. All I do is long for her to repair the gap in my heart. I still love her, I'll always love her as much as I try not to.

As I was thinking about Artemis for what had to be the millionth time today, I remembered that today was the winter solstice. That would mean I would see Artemis again. That would also mean that I could talk to her. I was filled with joy at this thought. First things first though, I'll have to get rid of Annabeth. And that's what I was thinking about as I made my way back to my palace.

"Annabeth?" I called out to her.

"Yes, Percy?" she replied.

"Let's talk," I said.

"About what?" she asked confusedly.

I took a deep breath. "I've been deceiving myself by being with you Annabeth. I kept trying to believe that you were helping me to move on from Artemis, but you aren't. I don't think anyone can. I'm still in love with Artemis and I always will, even if she doesn't love me back," I smiled wistfully after saying this sentence. Then I heard a gasp come from the entrance of my palace. Turning around, I saw none other than Artemis herself.

**A/N Hate it? Like it? Love it? The only way I'll know is if you review, so press that button and start typing! :)**

**A/N: 2/21- I decided to change the ending because I didn't like the way the story was going. REVIEW! :) Also, I will probably not be updating for another week. I have a 10 page essay to write that's due on Monday and I haven't started it yet. -_- So sorry about that!**


	5. Chapter 5

**IMPORTANT A/N So if you haven't yet noticed, I changed the ending of the last chapter. Read that before you read this chapter. I repeat, READ IT FIRST! On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. - Generic, I know…**

Artemis' POV

So just in case you skipped over the author's note, which I know a lot of people do, I changed the ending of the last chapter! Read that first before you continue reading. It won't make sense if you haven't yet read it. Well it might… I don't know, just read the ending of chapter four again!

I had come to Percy's palace since it would be the first time we would see each other in months and we had not ended on very good terms. It had hurt me more then I cared to let on to tell Percy I did not love him. The look on his face after I said those words to him brought a heaviness to my heart that has been suffocating me for the past few months. As I was entering his palace, (the door had been left open) I heard him talking to that Annabeth girl.

"I'm still in love with Artemis and I always will, even if she doesn't love me back," I hear him state and involuntarily, I let out a gasp of surprise. I thought that he had surely gotten over me since he started going out with Annabeth again.

Percy turned around and a surprised look crossed his face before it transformed into an elated one. "Artemis?" he asked.

"Y-Yes?" I replied, hating that I stuttered.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure that everything was alright between us since we didn't end on good terms the last time we saw each other…" He smiled sadly as I said this, reliving that night. To be honest, I had been haunted by nightmares of it every single night.

"Well to tell you the truth," he started, "I haven't been doing that well, and I've just been waiting to do this." With that, he grabbed my hands and slowly pressed his lips to mine. Try as I might, my body refused to pull away and just kissed him back. I heard the door to the palace close and realized it must be Annabeth leaving. After what seemed like forever, but could only have been a minute, Percy pulled away but still kept a hold on my right hand. We stayed like that, just staring at each other silently, enjoying the company we brought each other.

"So what happens now?" he asked, breaking the silence. "I love you Artemis. Please, give me a chance. I know I messed up before but please just give me another chance. I'm going crazy without you," he said with a pleading look on his face.

I hesitated. "I-I don't know Percy," I finally managed to choke out.

He sighed, "I was expecting that." Awkwardness had now filled the air and we lapsed into another period of quiet, albeit this time it was an uncomfortable one. "Artemis?" he asked, breaking the silence once again.

"Yes?" I replied, while wondering what he was going to say next.

"I think you should leave now," he said quietly. It was like I had been smacked in the face. That was not at all what I had been expecting him to say. I was actually quite disappointed that he had not said anything else to try to persuade me to give him a chance. _Wait, what was I thinking? Wasn't that what I had wanted? Didn't I want him to move on and not love me anymore? Why did I want him to try to win me over? _I gave him a small smile and turned to leave only to find that he was still holding on to my hand.

"Um, Percy? You need to let go of my hand…" I said. He looked down and saw that he was still holding on to it.

"Oh right," he said, embarrassed. I stood there, waiting for him to release my hand but he still did not.

"Percy?" I asked more confused than ever. He then pulled my hand gently, bringing me closer to him and kissed me yet again. Pulling back, he asked, "Did you really think I would let you leave that easily?" with a grin lighting up his face.

"O-Of course not," I said, swallowing hard and cursing myself for stuttering.

Percy merely laughed. "Can you meet me after the Winter Solstice meeting?" he asked, becoming serious.

Confused, I replied, "Why?"

"You'll see," he said with a wink.

"What?" I asked, very confused now.

"Just promise me you'll meet me next to the lake after the meeting."

"I… Promise," I said, unsure if whatever he wanted would be good or bad.

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, it's been a long day and I need to run a few errands," Percy replied with a smile before escorting me out of his palace.

Winter Solstice Meeting

_Argh… This meeting is a waste of my time. Who cares if Aphrodite breaks a nail? And Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades with their arguing, shoot me now. I wonder what it is that Percy has planned… Oh? The meeting is over? Well that was fast. I better head to the lake then. Oh no. Aphrodite's coming, what could she possibly want? She's probably trying to kill my brain cells with all her air-headedness. Here she is…_

With a sigh I asked, "What do you want Aphrodite?"

"You love him," she said while smiling gleefully at me. "Finally, the love-hating goddess loves!" This, she shouted out much louder.

"Shh! Do you want everyone to hear?" I asked.

"Follow your heart, Artemis. Don't run away this time," Aphrodite said. With that, she disappeared, leaving me alone and confused.

When I arrived at the lake, Percy was nowhere to be found, but there was a beach blanket with a picnic basket on it laid out on the sand next to the lake. All of a sudden, my vision was cut off as hands wrapped around my face, covering my eyes.

"Guess who," a very familiar voice said.

"Percy!" I exclaimed.

"And you are correct!" he said as he took his hands away.

"What is all this?" I asked.

"Well, I believe that it is a picnic," he said very slowly. I just responded by rolling my eyes. "Come on, let's eat!" he said while smiling.

Sitting on the blanket, we shared the food and gazed at the lake reflecting off the moon and we both knew one thing. Neither of us would be running away again.

**A/N So I haven't written in forever… Honestly, I've had most of this written except the ending since March. I just didn't know what to do with it until now and so I ended it like this. This chapter has really been a big disappointment to me. I'm very sorry that it's definitely not my best work. And yes, this is going to be the last chapter.**


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